Friday, December 28, 2012

It's British parallel-twin vs Italian V-twin in a battle of sporty retros. The Guzzi looks the part and has some really nice details, while the Triumph has the bigger engine and is a bit more powerful. Which one would you ride...?Via Motorcycle.com

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

2006 MotoGP world champion, Nicky Hayden is a likeable man. He’s an old school racer who can, on a good day, hang with the best in the world, doesn’t believe in talking trash and generally steers clear of controversy. Nicky won the AMA Superbike Championship in 2002, when he was just 21 years old – making him the youngest ever champ in that US series. In a MotoGP career that now spans a decade, the Kentucky Kid has only taken 3 race wins (1 in 2005, 2 in 2006, both with the 990cc Honda RC211V), but does also have 28 podium finishes, 5 pole positions and 7 fastest laps to his name. We don’t think he’s going to win any more championships, but the American remains one of the most affable men in racing.

In a recent interview that he gave to Cycle World magazine, Nicky Hayden had some interesting things to say. Here are some excerpts from what the Kentucky Kid said:

On Ducati’s last two years in MotoGP

Ducati tried everything. They’ve rolled out new bikes, stuff that was unheard of last year. If anything, we’ve tried too many new parts. With the aluminium chassis, marketing went out the window. Once Rossi came to Ducati, it was ‘get results – do whatever it takes.’ Everybody’s done as much as they could. We just haven’t done enough.

On Valentino Rossi’s time with Ducati

Valentino Rossi gave a lot of effort. It was impressive to see how he stayed motivated. Valentino didn’t take the easy way out going back to Yamaha; he’s got a lot of pressure on him. It’s not going to be easy. Jorge Lorenzo hasn’t gotten any slower since the last time they were teammates, but Valentino doesn’t seem scared of the challenge. I’m not into making predictions [but] I’ve been really competitive with Valentino for the past two years, so I’m anxious to see how he does.

After two decades as a professional motorcycle racer, Colin Edwards can certainly teach us a few things about going faster on a motorcycle...

Need to figure out how to go faster on your motorcycle? How about getting a bit of tuition from a MotoGP racer? How about learning a thing or two from Colin Edwards, who started racing in 1992 in the AMA 250cc national series, won the World Superbike Championship twice (in 2000 and 2002), won the Suzuki 8 Hours thrice (1996, 2001 and 2002) and who’s been racing in MotoGP since 2003. Edwards has raced a wide variety of machines – the mid-1990s Yamaha YZF750, the Honda RC45 and RC51, the Aprilia RS3 Cube, the Honda RC211V, the Yamaha YZR-M1 and, currently, the Suter-BMW CRT MotoGP bike. Admittedly, he hasn’t actually won a single race in MotoGP, ever. Then again, he has lined up on the grid in no less than 168 MotoGP races and finished on the podium in 12 of those, so the man probably knows something about going fast on a bike.

In a bid to give something back to the sport that’s given him so much, Edwards has set up the Texas Tornado Boot Camp on a 20-acre facility, 65km north of Houston, in Texas. ‘This camp is a one-stop shop for all ages and skill levels to learn, practice and build your motorcycle skills, with top of the line equipment at the finest facility around. This camp is where you will learn the fundamentals that will transfer to any motorcycle, dirt or street. We use Yamaha TTR 110s, 125s and 230s with semi-slick rear tyres on clay tracks. This will help you with balance, body position, where your eyes should be looking, and most important of all – feel. My instructors and I have done exactly this for years and I wouldn’t be where I am today without this experience,’ says Colin, on the TTBC website.

Among other things, Colin’s facility includes a 1/8th mile clay oval, a lighted 300ft x 150ft covered clay riding arena, a mini supercross track, a paintball course and an obstacle course. ‘For those of you out there saying “110s and 125s and 230s? What can riding a kid’s bike teach me about going faster on my 450F or 1000 Twin?” Well, I make my living going 200mph on some of the fastest and most exotic bikes known to mankind, and I'm telling you that I honed my skills and built my fundamentals riding small bikes on dirt tracks right here in Texas. Everything we will teach you here at the Texas Tornado Boot Camp will translate directly to whatever bike you are riding today, or plan to throw a leg over in the future,’ says Colin.